Ngaphandle kwezindawo ezikude, kunendawo eyimfihlo futhi efihlekile yengqondo, edumile, ethokozisayo, enezithunzi ezinzima, izinduli zishaywa ngamafutha nesithukuthuku. Amatshe akhipha izikhala ezijulile, njengokuthi kunenkanyezi esefihlekile, umoya oshisayo uqukethe indawo, okwenza kube nzima ukuphefumula. Umphakathi ongenabuntu, u-Xihuai, ugqoke ifashoni yakudala ye-hero, holda umshini ofudumele ophaphathekayo, ufika kule ndawo eyingozi, amehluko ezintweni ezimnandi.
Enzweni ye-Xihuai, kukhanya isifiso sokuhlola le ndawo eyimfihlo, lokhu kuyiphupho lakhe, lesi sikhathi sokugcina phezu kwemisebenzi yakhe. Izinganekwane zitshela ngemfihlo yakudala efihlekile, kodwa kuphela abaninzi abanesibindi abakwazi ukuveza le mifanekiso eyimfihlo. Phambi kwakhe, ubona umnyango onomlilo, umoya ovuthayo uvuthwa, njengomlandla omkhulu othokozisayo. I-Xihuai ibanga lokuqala, ubone umoya unqamuka, ufika.
U-Xihuai uthathile umoya, waphinde, waya emnyango. Njengoba evula umnyango, umhlaba uthandeka, okhokho bahlala phansi, amatshe avuthwa phansi kwenhliziyo yakhe. Ngesikhathi esedlula emnyango, uzwe umoya ovuthayo, uyazisola, futhi abamba kahle umshini wakhe, aqhubeke nokubuza, "Ngabe ngiyahambahamba?"
Le mpendulo ivela ezinhliziyweni, ivela emoyeni wakhe out itulahla. Unezinkolelo, uma ubenesisindo, akukhona okungasweleki. Ngakho-ke, u-Xihuai ushaya umshini ophuma phambili ombala, emuva kwaleso sikhathi, umoya uhamba ngokuqala, ubonisa umgwaqo oya kwelinye.
Lapho edlula emnyango, umoya owenziwe ngesithukuthuku ukhanya, izinkanyezi ezimibalabala zikhanya kakhulu, kanye nezilwane ezimfihlo, kungenzeka ukuthi babukela u-Xihuai esinyathelweni sakhe ngasinye. Lezi zilwane zihlukahlukene, okukhanya njengesilwane se-lizard, kokukhanya njengesilwane, kodwa zikhombisa umoya ophilayo. U-Xihuai udinga ukuqonda kobuchwepheshe, aqhuba ngokuqhudelana, ahambe endaweni ephakeme ye-altar.
Ku-alta, kukhona iphahlaza liyindlunkulu, liphakamisa ezishukumisayo, udaba ubhemiwe, u-Xihuai uvikela ngesimo esingama-20, ujabulela omunye uhlelo lwakhe. U-Xihuai uthola uthando lwakhe, uyaciphiza, uveza amandla angcono emizimbeni yakhe. Ngalolu suku, izwi lathokozisa izimfihlo zomlilo, izwi lishaya umhombiso.
Izinkanyezi zikhombisa isimo esikhaliphoritha ukufanisa, ungakhetha kube nempilo, uvuselwa abaphila abavukile. U-Xihuai ulandela ukunqamuka okukhulu, akukhona okungapheli, ukukhanyakaza elibopha owokufunwa kwedlula. "Ngabe ngiyahambahamba?" U-Xihuai uphakamisa umoya, efaka izinkanyezi ezingama-20.
Izwi lichaza umyalezo eshedlulwa, umhlaba wokuphila ugcwele, umoya uthokozisa, ubhawu bemililo buva makhulu kube phezulu. "Uyiqhawe, uzoletha umcabango omuhle uzenzele umkhonto." U-Xihuai uthola lesi sikhathi esikhululekile, uvela imfihlo.
Lapho edlula emnyango, umoya ohloniphekayo, ubona izinyathelo ezinkulu, ezide, amanga, olusindisa ngenxa nokufuna kwi-knowledge. U-Xihuai ubuke loko, abone izinkanyezi, uthola izimfihlo ezinkulu. Lokhu kudala amahlebezi, azishiye ukungabi nalwande.
U-Xihuai ukhuluma izinkanyezi ngendlela engaphandle, umkhuphula umoya. Lokhu kuyinto eyisithukuthuku, lokhu kuyinkanyezi, lokhu kuyasanika isikhumbuzo.
Ngalolu suku, aqhubeka eqinisekisa imfihlo emisha, udinga ukugcina le ndawo. "Ngiyazama ukwenza kube liphambili!" Uhlezi njengoba uhambela emkhombeni wakhe.
Lapho umoya uphinda uvuselwa, izinkanyezi ziqhubeka zisuka, ucabanga ngemihlabalhabi, futhi uyazi, ohulumeni, uhlanga, lidlulisa umcimbi. U-Xihuai ugcine isimo, uqonde imfihlo emisha kodwa hayi.